Sleeping-car.



. s'LBEPINGiCAR. y APPLICATION. FILEUDEU. 2K8, 1903..

SHEETSASHEET 2.

l um Nil PATENTBD MAR. 2v, 1906. H. M. PPLAGER.

SLEEPING CAR. APPLICATION FILED 13110.28, 1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET '3.

'I m. II "mi HHH 4 10.816,037. l PATENTBD MAR'. 27,1906.

f I H.' M. PPLAGBR.

SLEEPING GAR. APPLICATION IILYEI) DEO. 28,1903.-

riUNrrED STATES" HARRY` M. PFLAGER, oF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS;V

SLEEPING-GAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Maren 27', 1906.

Application nea Deeember 27s, 1903. serai Ne.' 186,890.

To alt whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, HARRY M. PFLAGER, a

4 lcitizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and'State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sleeping-Cars, of which the ollowing is a specification', and which are I illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

forming a part thereof.

The objects of the invention are to provide a practical sleeping-car the design and construction of which will be of such a character as to remove the present great obj ectione to upper berths, ren ering them equally desirable with the lower berths and providing a much greater percentage of desirable s ace in each car,- thussecuring a reduction of t e number of cars re uired to `handle the business. To accomplis this, a s ace is provided at the end j mounted at a lower level, t

. which-# `Figure 1 is a detail elevation of one-side of the .interior ofa sleeping-car, they berths of each section w 'ch allows easy entrance to and exit from the upper berth and also affords toilet facilities, including a folding washstand, clothes-hooks, and mirror, a window affording ventilation for the upper berth without danger of drafts, and also a space for the reception of hand baggage. y

The invention also provides for mounting the seats/ofthe lower berths so as to simplify the4v operation of transforming them into a bed and also to bring this berth toa lower level, so as to permit the upper berth to be us aording increased head room for both berths.

Further objects of the invention are to imrove the sleeping-car by providing means or better conserving the prlvacy and safety of the upper berths.

These objects are'attained by the structure hereinafter described and which is illustrated4 in being closed. Fig. 2 is ya similar view artly in section, the berths beingopen. li'p lgs. 3 and 4 are transverse details taken on the l line 3 3 of Fig. 1, the former showing the upper berth closed, the latter showing it open; and Figs. 5 and 6 lare, details.

The invention is shown as applied to a sleeping-car which in most respects is of common construction, there being shown at the ioor of the car,at lljits side wall, at 1,2 and 13 the fronts of two upper berths, at 14 the upper deck, and at 15 the car-roof. The

fthe acompanying drawings, in

tions 17 at onel end and 16 at the other, the t lower portions of these partitions serving as the backs -of the seats when the berths are yclosed and as supports for the' seat ends 1S. The upper portion of the partition 17 is flush with the front plate of the upper berth when the latter is closed, 'as shown at 43. The upper portion of the partition 16-that is to say, the partition separating the section from the toilet-compartment annexed thereto-is. cut away, as shown at 44, so as not to obstruct the passage between the upper berth and this compartment. son the movable headboard 21 at this end of the section does not extend above the lower berth, but merely cuts off the lower berth from the toilet-compartment of this-section. The usual-sliding headboard 42 isv provided at the opposite end of the sectionl cooperating with the partition 17 to yseparate both berths For the same'reaof this section from the toilet-compartment annexed' to the next section.

The upper berths, as 13, are provided with i j hinged side, as hereinafter explained. The

front of each upper berth is prolonged at the end adjacent its toilet compartment, as shown at20, so as to extend over the parti'- tion 16, and when the berth is lowered it res ts upon and is -in part supported by the headboard 21.

22 is, however, hinged somewhat lower than the berth-fronts, as shown', and is provided with counterbalancing cables or chains 2.8,

ly its door takes the form ...9. 5 -The vupper ortion of the toilet-compart- IOO `i 5 erths and being providedwith the same style of lock used thereon. This plate1 p robing, dressing, and making the toilet. The

front portion 23 of this platform is hinged to one of the partitions 17, so lthat it may fold upwardly against the latter or be turned down to the position shown in Fig. 1, engaging the adjacent partition 16. The rearward portion 24 of this platform, however, is pervmanently fixed in a horizontal position, and

an intermediate-section 25 is inde endently hinged in linerwith the hinge of t e section 23, its front edge slightly overlapping this section, -so that it will be carried up by it and may remain inits vertical position, providing space for the plate 22 when the latter 1s lowered to the position shown in Fig. 4, the forward section 23 being folded down in front of the plate.

A ste 26 is hin ed, as shown, at 27 to the side rais of the p ate 22, so that it may be folded u p toward the hinge of this plate or be lowered to the position shown in Fig. 4 and resting on brackets 30, thus forming the second step used in entering the upper berth.

A washbasin 31 is hinged to the side wall of the car or an appurtenance thereof a little above the hinge of theplate 22, so that it may be folded upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 3 or thrown downwardly for use to the position shown in Fi 4. A shelf 32 roj ects from the side wall 0 the car above t e basin for carrying toilet articles, and a mirror 33 is mounted above this shelf. y

At 34 there is shown a window located between the washbasin and the shelf 32, its sash running in vertical ways, so thatit may be raised for ventilation, and before this window is a-screen 35, running in vertical ways, so that it may be pulled down when the window is open.

At 37'there is shown a faucet for delivering water to the basin 31 and at 38 a waste-pipe, into the open upper end of which the rearward end of the basin enters when the latter is folded upwardly.

Curtain-rods 39 run longitudinally of the vcar and are supported in any desired manner, y so that curtains may be hung before the uper and lower berths, as is usual, and also before'the toilet-compartment. I also provide a curtain 40, wound upon a spring-roller 41, journaled within the front ofthe upper berth, so that the curtain may b e drawn up and secured to the rod 39 in any desired manner, thereby screening the upper berth from the view of .fa person who maybe dressing within the o'uter'curtains, this curtain also serving as a means of safety to prevent theoccupant from falling out.

In order to provide more head-room for both upper and lower berths than has heretofore been practicable, I sup ort the seat 5() upon a frame 45a, carried by inks 45 46, pivoted to suitable lugs rising from floor-plates 47. These links are of suiicient ,length to bring'the cushion to the desired elevation for day use and swing downwardly as the seats are thrown forward, bringin@ the berth to a lower level. The rearward link 46 may be guided by a wear-plate 48, which rises from the bracket 47 and from which there )rejects a stop-arm 49, limiting the forward movement of the link, and a stop-arm 53, limit- .ing the backward movement of the links.

Each of the links 45 is provided with an elon- .gated pivot-hole at'its lower end and with a p1n 54 near its top adapted to engage recesses 55 in the'stop-arm 49 when the seats are up for day use. In order to lower the seats, the front end of the frame 56 is'raised to disengage the pin 54 from the recess 55, the seat then being swung forwardly.

The back-cushions 51 rest upon the customary swinging block 52, hinged to the seatrails. When in their upper position, this block serves alsoy as a stop to limit the backward movement of the seat 50. In making up the berth for night use the block52 is thrown down to the position shown at the right of F ig, 2 and then supports the rearward end of the cushion 51.

For day service the car presents the appearance of an ordinary sleeping-car except that the several sections are spaced apart, these interspaces serving as convenient receptacles for hand baggage. For night use the plate 22 is lowered to the position shown in Fig. 4. The platform 23 is lowered to the horizontal position, and the upper step 26 is lowered, so that easy access is gained to the upper berth through the toilet-compartment. The coun' terbalancing-cable 36 at the end of the upper berth adjacent the toilet-com artment is sccured to the berth-frame wel back from its front edge, as shown at 46, so that it does not offer any obstacle to free access to the berth.

The occupant in dressing or disrobing may stand upon the platform 23, having raised the step 26 out of the way, and finds the washbasin 31 conveniently located, so that it' may be lowered for use and raised after use and also for the purpose of discharging its contents into the wasteipe 33. The toiletshelf 32 is available for t e care of small toilet articles, and the mirror 33 is conveniently located for use in making the toilet. The window 34 not only affordsJight for the toilet, but also provid es for ample ventilation of the upper berth without necessarily throwing a draft directly upon the occupant. The curtain 40 insures the strictprivac yof the occu'- pant of this berth, while aflor( ing the occupant of the lower berth free use of the space within the outervcurtains in dressing. The described construction also provides space ISO for hanging the clothing of theoccupant dur! ing the night, hooks 53 being provided for that purpose.

While I prefer to hinge the front of the cabi- 'net,- inclosing the toilet articles across its V rality ofsections, adjacent sections being ralitygof sections,4 ad'acent sections -*beingspaced apart, an openable wall-cabinet in the upper portion of the interspace and having its front plate or door hinged across-its lower edge, and a folding step secured-'to the inside of the front plate.

'3, In a sleeping-car, in combination, a pluspaced apart, an opena le wall-cabinet in the upper port-ion of the interspace and 'having its front plate ordoor hinged across its lower edge, a folding stepsecured to the inside of the front plate, and `a platform crossing the lower portion of the interspace.

'4. In a ysleeping-e 'r, in combination, a' plurality of sections, adjacent sections being spaced apart, an openabl wall-cabinet in the upper 'portion of the interspace and having.

itsfront plate or door hinged across its lower edge, afolding step secured to the inside of .the front plate, and a foldingplatform crossling the lower portion ofthe interspace.

5. In a sleeping car, inv combination, a sleeping-car sectlon having a toilet-compartnient at itsend and an upper berth hinged-.to

the side of the car, a headboard for separat' ont plate or` 4ingthe lower berth from this compartment,

. a headboard for closing the entire end of the section remote from the compartment,A a downwardly-swinging plate covering the up' per portion of the inner wall of the toiletcompartment, a folding step secured to the partment.

6. In a sleeping-car, in combination, an upper berth, and av spring roller-curtain journaled lwithin the frame of such berth.

7. .In a sleeping-car, in combination, a

seat-frame, and a pair of forwardly-swinging links supporting such frame' at each end.

8. In 4a sleeping car, in combination, a pair of seats facing each other each seat being supported at each end upon a pair of links which swing forward and downward.

9. a sleeping car, -in combination, a seat frame, forwardlyswinging links su porting such frame, the links being longitud?- nally movable on their pivots, a fixed` bracket having a shoulder, and a deten't carried by the seat for enga ing such shoulder.

10. In 'a s eepingcar, in combination, a seat f frame, forwardly swinging links supporting'the frame and being longitudinallT slotted to receive their pivots,ia fixed bracket having a recess, and al pin carried by one of the links for engaging the recess.

11. In aasleeping-car, in combination, a pair of facing permanent seats, the cushions of which are movable to ytransform the two seats into a bed, a folding berth immediately over such pair of seats, a latform back of one ofthe seats, a toilet-tab e above the platform, and a movable artition forclosing the opposite .end of the olding berthv when the latter is in position for use. i

- I HARRY M. PFLAGER. Witnesses: ,I f 4 LoUIs D. HEUSNER. LOUIS K. GriLLsoNv v 5.0 .inner face of theplate, and a folding platform crossing the lower portion of the toilet-com- 

